


5 times Adenine Tabris suprised Erik Cousland, and one time he surprised her back

by dimircharmer



Series: Something more than they were [1]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Blood, City Elf Origin, Developing Relationship, Discussion of Rape, F/M, Gen, Isabela cameo, M/M, Offscreen Violence, Platonic Relationship, Violence, all origins are true, elven oppression, someone help the elves honestly, the rape is offscreen but I thought I should warn for it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-19
Updated: 2015-05-19
Packaged: 2018-03-31 07:36:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3969519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dimircharmer/pseuds/dimircharmer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The first time Erik Cousland saw Adenine Tabris, she was covered in blood. This state of affairs proved to be alarmingly common over the time they knew each other, but he will always remember that first time.<br/>***<br/>An all origins are true 5+1 fic, focusing on the relationship between Tabris and Cousland</p>
            </blockquote>





	5 times Adenine Tabris suprised Erik Cousland, and one time he surprised her back

**One**

  
The first time Erik Cousland saw Adenine Tabris, she was covered in blood. This state of affairs proved to be alarmingly common over the time they knew each other, but he will always remember that first time. Duncan had left for Denerim early that morning, going to check on some old friends, he had said, who might help the war effort. His return, thought Erik, was not nearly as optimistic as his departure.

Cousland doubted that the young elf he had brought back with him was a friend at all, and definitely not an old one, he would have guessed two or so years younger than himself. As she and Duncan approached the camp, he was able to pick out more details, and all of them were alarming. Maker, but was she ever covered in blood. It stuck to her hair, plastering it to one side of her face, and her hands were soaked in it up to her elbows. The cloak she was wearing was clean, as was the pack slung across one shoulder, but every inch of skin Erik could see was liberally coated in the stuff. As Erik made his way towards them, he saw that the cloak was far too large for her; she kept pulling it up over her collarbones and tripping over its hem. Duncan waved him over, and Cousland wondered how long he’d seen him watching.

“Change of plans” Duncan announced, clapping Erik on the shoulder “We’re not staying in Denerim tonight. Ran into the daughter of an old friend in a bit of a tight spot, had to get her out of the city in a hurry. Good news, though, is that she’s the best damn scrapper I've seen in years.”

He turned to look back at the elf behind him, who was clutching what Erik realized was _Duncan’s travelling_ cloak closed around her with grim determination.

“Right” Erik said, trying not to stare too obviously at what he was reasonably sure was maker-forsworn _tooth_ stuck in her hair. He tried to remember if his mother had ever taught him protocol for a meeting someone in a situation like this.  
“Right. Erik Cousland, of Highever, at your service” He stuck his right glove in his armpit to pull it off, and extended his hand to shake. She looked at it as if it might bite her. Her hair was dripping gently onto the fur lining of Duncan’s cloak.  
“I suspect you’ll want to get cleaned up, then?” Duncan said, mercifully ending the moment “I think there’s some water left over from last night, and you can at least scrub off in it before we get going again. Get the worst off.”

The elf at least nodded at that, and allowed Duncan to lead her back into the camp. Erik, for want of something better to do, followed the two of them. Duncan found her a bucket and a rag, with which she promptly vanished behind the supply cart. Erik stared after her a moment, and then turned to Duncan

“So I really do have to ask-“he started

“No you don’t.” Duncan replied. “The same way no one needed to know why I went into Highever castle looking for a small army and returned with only their youngest son and a war hound. You’re wardens, or soon to become such. What came before doesn't matter now.”

It did matter, Erik thought. It really, really did, but damned if he was going to voice that in front of Duncan. Not here, not while there was an elf behind the wagon sloughing blood off her hands, and not while he could still see his nephew in a puddle of blood on the floor, and his mother insisting that she be left behind with his dying father. That was as much a part of him as an order he’d only been a part of for a week, no matter the pedigree and grandeur of the order itself. Some of that must have shown on his face, because Duncan snorted from beside him.

“I can tell you don’t believe it yet, but by the time the year’s out, you’ll all be wardens first, and anything else second.”  
Before he could add anything else, they were rejoined by the elf Duncan had brought back. She had changed into a thin, worn green tunic and a pair of too-short trousers, both of which had seen better days but at least were at least free of fresh blood stains. Her hair was wet mercifully only with water now, hanging damp and jagged in her face, and she handed Duncan’s cloak back to him, nodding in thanks. She had still not said a word to him or Duncan since they had arrived back from Denerim. Duncan took it, and then threw Erik to the wolves completely by telling her

“Cousland here’ll get you kitted out. We probably won’t have much in your size, but like as not we’ll be attacked on the road again, and even poorly fitted armour is better than no armour at all. Supplies are in the wagon.” He said. Then, blight take him, tuned around and walked away with his cloak before Erik could voice his protest. He turned from Duncan’s retreating back to look despairingly down at his new charge. She was glaring back up at him in a manner that suggested she wasn't thrilled with the arrangement either. Erik sighed.

“Let’s get this over with then. What do you need? Long bow or short bow? I think we have arrows enough around here that we can split them between the two of us. Or are you more of a daggers person? We have some of those too.” stupid question, Erik berated himself, no one wielding a bow successfully emerged from a fight as covered in blood as she had been. He started to go for the bag of daggers when she said

“Sword.”

Erik paused in his rummaging.

“Sorry? Could you repeat that, I could have sworn you said you wanted a-“

“Said a sword. And a shield, if you have one.”

Erik looked at the diminutive individual in front of him, and remembered how small she had looked swimming in Duncan’s cloak.

“I’m not sure if that’s the best idea” he started, “Maybe something a little more-“ but she was already around the side of the cart, and he could do nothing but stand back and let her search.

“I really didn't expect an elf to go in for a sword and shield” Erik admitted as she picked through the sacks in the cart. “Bow and arrows would probably suit you better. You could help with the hunting while we’re on the road, even. Might be useful for you to know.”

She snorted, and then emerged triumphant from a sack with a sword that must have been as long as one of her legs.  
“I grew up in Denerim’s Alienage, Cousland. Nothing to hunt there except the rats, which hardly worth the effort. This at least, I know how to use.”

And with that, she grabbed a pair of leather gloves from the cart and walked away, leaving Erik behind to wonder what sort of life she had led, exactly, that an elf smaller than his younger cousin could pick up a longsword like she meant it, and how that had led to her being recruited by Duncan and marched out to their camp, covered in blood.  
*  
It was not until they were on the road again that Erik realized he still didn't know her name.

* * *

  
**Two**

  
The battle of Ostagar was harrowing, and the death and darkspawn seemed to be following them both literally and metaphorically off the battlefield. They had a plan, such as it was, but such a large group couldn't just go running all over the country without at least some supplies. To that end they had stopped in Lothering, the remaining wardens plus an apostate they had picked up along the way, and Erik and Tabris were stationed outside the tavern. They were ostensibly keeping watch, but Erik sort of doubted that Tabris knew what she was doing. She was concentrating on eating an apple, and her eyes never kept still, darting from one person to the next far too fast to glean anything useful about any of them. In addition to that, she kept guard slumped against the wall, like a miscreant waiting for a mugging target. Erik, on the other hand, was standing at full parade rest, staring straight ahead like he the guards had done at Highever. Not that it did them much good, in the end, but it had to be based in sound theory, which is why he was surprised when she glanced in his direction, looked him over with obvious derision, and rolled her eyes. He turned to glare at her, hands still folded on top of his bow. She raised an eyebrow at him and deliberately took another bite of her apple before turning back to the bustling town ahead of her.

“Anyone ever tell you you’re crap at this?” Cousland stared at her, completely taken aback

“I beg your pardon?”

“This. Guarding. Keeping watch, standing lookout, whatever you want to call it. You’re shit at it.”

“That’s rich, coming from the girl whose been eating while we’re on duty.” She snorted, and took another bite.

“Watch is boring. You’d’ve known that if you’d ever done one before. No rule saying you can’t eat and watch at the same time, after all.” It was. Watch was boring and he was hungry and several times over their vigil he’d found himself longing for an apple of his own, but damned if he was going to tell her that.

“’Watch is boring’ is no excuse for complacency!” Erik protested “Boring or not, we still have a duty to do out here!”

“And bang-up job you’re doing too!” She interrupted “Tell me then, oh master of the watch, who in the crowd by the market place have you been watching. Who’s been keeping an eye on you, all jackbooted and attentive, point out any of the people with hidden knives, and tell me someone who’s made coin today, if you’re so good at this”

Erik stared at her. She took another bite of her apple, overlarge elven eyes still studying the market square.

“I don’t-“

“Of course you don’t. Never done this for real before, right? Look, the first thing you need to do on watch is learn not to get bored out of your skull. You've been daydreaming half the time we've been out here, don’t think I haven’t noticed. No use to any of us like that. So loosen up. You’re not the bloody king’s guard; you don’t have to stand at attention outside a tavern in the middle of blighted Lothering for Andraste’s sake.”

Erik frowned. “But-“She jabbed a finger in his chest, successfully interrupting his complaint.

“Not standing at damned parade rest also has the advantage of not alerting every refugee and their maiden aunty that you’re _standing bloody watch_.” She finished in a hiss, and for the first time he realized what they must look like in the shadow of the tavern’s porch.

She was tucked carefully against a beam, just another exhausted refugee taking a chance to eat before moving on. Her sword lay carefully in reach against the railing, and her buckler was still strapped to one arm; she could have been battle ready in a split second, and didn't look threatening in the least just standing there. He, on the other hand, much have stood out like a pimple in a pumpkin patch, standing at parade rest in his brother’s plate mail and glaring aggressively at the crowd. And, he realized guiltily, with his bow on the ground like a guard held a sword and his quiver by his bag he had a very slim chance of being able to properly arm himself in time if a threat _did_ arise.

“Oh.” Erik said. Tabris snorted as he rearranged himself against the railing of the tavern, shooting surreptitious glances her way as he tried to mimic her body language.

“Yes, ‘oh’. If there was anyone actually looking for us in the crowd, they would have spotted you quick as a whistle.”

“There’s not, though?” He asked. She shook her head.

“Nah. Just refugees and desperate farmers. I could probably point out a bandit, maybe two in the crowd, tell you that the merchant-the one in the red?- definitely a smuggler. No one after us out here though. No one’s paying us a lick of mind, not when they have the blight to worry about”

Erik stared at her. “How can you possibly tell all that from looking at the crowd?”

“Not from looking at. I've been _watching_ them; _you've_ been looking at them. Haven’t seen a single thing, for all you’re looking at the crowd. Watching is a different game, Cousland.” She examined him out of the corner of her eye, and then turned back to the crowd. There was a beat of silence between them, as Erik processed her words, and then she sighed.

“I could teach you, you know” She said.

“What?”

“How to watch. How to keep watch, out here.

“You would do that?””

She shrugged. “Good for everyone, isn't it? Not that knowing how to spot a knife in a boot’s worth a damn in the middle of the woods, but who knows. Might come in handy someday, for you and the rest of us.”

“I-yes” he said. “Yeah, I’d appreciate that. Thank you.”

She eyed him again across the porch, and he thought there might be something like respect in her eyes. “You might just be all right, Cousland”

“Erik.” She looked at him questioningly , so he said again “Erik. We’re on the road, on the run from darkspawn with a bunch of barely trained warden recruits, a possibly crazed apostate, and a dog. You can call me Erik.” He offered her his hand and she shook it, meeting his eyes as she did so.

“Adenine. I have to say, I never thought I’d be on a first name basis with the son of a Teryn.” There was a tone of clear challenge in her words, and Erik had no idea what it was. Erik tried to grin as he replied

“Pleased to be the first then.” She smiled back, a little incredulous, before retrieving her hand and turning back to watch the crowd.

“You might just be alright after all, Erik.”  
*  
It was not for several weeks that he realized she had expected him to respond that he had never expected to be on a first name basis with an elf.

* * *

 

**Three**

  
The next time Erik was able to have a conversation with Adenine alone was on the road to Orzammar, and he had something extreamly important to say to her. Adenine and Alistair had been fumbling towards some kind of a relationship since Lothering. Everything appeared to be progressing normally (if a little slowly, if Erik could say so himself) until they had arrived in Redcliff, and Alistair unveiled his royal blood.

Adenine had the exact opposite reaction he would have expected from someone who found out their sweetheart was in line for the throne; namely she pulled back hard and she pulled back _fast._ Alistair, hurt, had no idea how to respond to that, and Erik frankly couldn't blame him. It was a long, tense couple of nights fighting the undead and defending the town made significantly worse by the fact that two of their best warriors refused to talk to one another. None of this was made easier by the horrors that the castle itself was hiding, and thank the maker for mages, because Erik would have hated to try and deal with a possessed child on his own.

It was to general relief that in a quiet moment waiting for the boat full of mages to return to Redcliff castle Adenine pulled Alistair aside and made a peace offering. Where she had found Alistair’s dead mother’s amulet, he had no idea, and Alistair had responded by presenting her with a rose he had saved from Lothering. He didn't hear the following conversation, but it ended with her climbing onto a crate on the dock and kissing him in front of the whole party, so it couldn't have gone too badly.

Honestly, the whole affair was so sweet Erik was a little shocked that Morrigan hadn't left out of sheer disgust.

The only problem with the whole situation, as far as Erik was concerned, was that he had not yet had the chance to tease Adenine or Alistair about it, which is why he was perhaps unreasonably eager to gather firewood with her as they made camp halfway up the Frostbacks. He glanced over at her across the clearing, tucking some deadwood under his arm, gently puffing steam into the cold mountain air.

“Sooooo” He said, totally unable to keep the grin off his face “You and Alistair, huh?”

He was expecting blushing, stammering, or maybe banter and bawdy jokes. It could have gone either way with her, honestly. What he was not expecting was her to abruptly stiffen and whirl around to face him, fury written clear across her face.

“Not you too, Cousland. Every other person in the camp except the maker-forsworn _assassin_ has told me this is a bad idea; I don’t need it from you too.”

“Woah, What?” Erik started “That’s not what I meant at all I-“

“I know this isn't a good idea” she snapped, “ I know this is going to end badly. You think I don’t fucking know that? How could I _not_ know that.” She punctuated this statement with an angry little huff of breath, visible in the cold.

“Wait” Erik said, “When you say everyone in camp tried to tell you it was a bad idea…”

“I meant everyone. Wynne and Aeducan and even fucking _Sten_ came after me about _duty_ and _responsibility_ as if I’d forget that there was an archdemon on a trail just because I’m sweet on a guy. The other mages warned me about dallying with a Templar, as if that mattered to me, and you can imagine that Morrigan thinks nothing good of the situation anyway. Leliana thinks it’s cute, but warned me it’s probably going to end in bloodshed. Maheriel came after me about polluting the elven bloodline, of all things, for a fun change of pace. Brosca just congratulated me on securing a comfortable life and wished me sons, which goes to show how much _she_ knows about surface life.”

“But I mean, haven’t you?”

“Haven’t I what?”

“I mean, maybe a little early to be proposing, but Alistair doesn't seem like a halfway kind of guy. You like him, he _clearly_ likes you, if you both live through the blight, I honestly can’t imagine he’d leave you in the lurch. You two doing whatever it is you're doing doesn't seem any stupider than anything else we've been doing lately.”

She sat down heavily on a tree stump, and let out a laugh that seemed to get caught halfway out of her throat.

“Okay, sure. Let’s say we both survive the blight.” She said “Let’s say, just for fun, that Alistair becomes king, even, like Eamon wants him to. Best case scenario, yeah? Where does that leave me?”

“…The king’s lover?” Erik offered

“Nono” She corrected “I’d be the king’s _Elven_ lover. Hell of a difference there. Not only the King’s Elven lover, but the elf that the king is, as you said yourself, really clearly publicly invested in as more that a courtesan or a fuck on the side. An elf who has the potential to give him half-elven children with a _claim to the throne_.” She met his eyes again. “Erik, I’d be dead within the year.”

She sighed heavily, and pulled her cap off to run her fingers through her hair before carefully easing it back on and tucking the tips of her ears under the brim.

“All of this is assuming I’d be willing to be the king’s elven piece-on-the-side, anyway." she continued "I don’t think I am, come to that. Not with him. I’m not going to pretend to be a chambermaid for the rest of my life so I can spend two nights a week with the king of Ferelden. Decent life, for lots of people, being the other woman for royalty, but you've met me, Erik. I wouldn't last two weeks without stabbing a bann or a teryn or some visiting dignitary who tried something. I can’t live like that”

Erik hesitated a beat, and then sat down beside her.

“Nah, I’d give you a month, at _least_ before you succumbed to bloodlust.”

That got a laugh out of her at least. It was more bitter than usual, but Erik counted it a success anyway.

“He might not even become king, though” Erik pointed out “Nothing’s set in stone yet.”

“And what, he’d come live with me in Denerim alienage?” she snorted again “Oh yeah babe, it’s great, the Arl only sets his dogs on us every couple of months, and we only sometimes have to eat rat, you’ll love it. Only shem in the place, you’ll fit right in.” She shook her head. “Alistair doesn't need to live like that. Shouldn't have to. He deserves better. I just don’t know how to give it to him.”

Erik was still trying to process the unpleasantness of the idea that the arl set his mabari loose in the alienage when he realised she was waiting for a response. She seemed so small hunched on the stump beside him, hands and elbows tucked into her travelling cloak. She was for once out of her chainmail and instead wrapped in thick wools and furs, bought in human towns and painstakingly taken in on the road, until they had something suitable for her to wear in the cold. It still bunched up around the shoulders and sagged around the knees, but at least the boots and gloves fit well. Wynne had knitted the elves hats, after Surana had come out of her tent with a pair of sock over her ears the second day up the mountain. They all thanked her profusely, and even Mahariel had been grateful to get his pointed ears inside something other than a helmet. Still, at the moment Adenine looked as cold and lost and frightened as Erik felt nearly all the time, and he was abruptly reminded that she had as little training, as little experience and as little idea of what she was doing as the rest of them.  
Before he could second guess himself, he threw an arm over her shoulders, and pulled her against his side in a rough hug. It was a sign of how tired she was -how tired they all were- that she allowed it, letting herself be pulled into the embrace, arms bundled against his chest.

“You’ll figure it out” He told her “You’re the smartest person I know, and a stubborn bastard besides. If Alistair has a lick of sense inside that royal head he’ll fight just as hard to keep you as you will to keep him.” He patted her awkwardly on the back “I’m glad for you, you know. You’re good for each other.”

She clenched her fist into his furs, pressing them against his chest.

“Thank you.”

* * *

  
**Four**

  
“Erik!” Adenine called from the edge of the camp “I need a hand with something. Got a minute to spare?”

Erik looked the dregs of his lumpy stew, before sadly depositing the bowl in the dishes bucket. He got off his seat by the log slowly, stretching as he went.

“Sure” He said “I’ll be right over.”

Their current camp wasn't the best one they’d ever made, but honestly most of them were so relieved to be out of Orzamar (and the deep roads in particular) that they would have been happy camping knee deep in a swamp if it meant sleeping under open sky and not stone. Brosca had been especially keen to get out of the city as soon as possible, but they had all breathed a sigh of relief as they put the old thaig behind them. The camp would do for now, he thought to himself, warm-ish and dry, but he had quickly been finding out that the nature of living in the wilderness for days and weeks at a time meant there was always something that someone needed to do. Adenine had been the one to teach him what that was as well as how to do it, often as not, and it had eased the journey tremendously.

“What do we need?” he asked, coming up to Adenine “Firewood? We’re good on supplies, right? All stocked up on elfroot and poultices and whatever from Orzamar. Didn't think we’d need anything else so soon”

She nodded, and Erik couldn't help but feel proud at it. “We’re all full up, yeah. Just need you to take a look at something I came across. Shouldn't take long. Just a little along the road here.”

Erik nodded, and they walked along the moonlit path in what he thought was companionable silence, right up until she grabbed the folds of his cloak and slammed him backwards into a tree. He grunted in surprise, and barely had time to register the betrayal before she pulled him down to make eye contact.

“ _How long_?” She snarled.

“What the _fuck_ Adenine!” he yelped. She bared her teeth in reply.

“I said _how long,_ Cousland. As in, _how long have you been fucking Zevran_?”

She slammed him against the tree again for emphasis. Of all the places he had expected this to go, Erik thought a little hysterically, scrabbling at the hands on his cloak, this was pretty close to the bottom of the list.

“We fucked once!” He said hurriedly “Last night! He invited me back to his room to celebrate getting out of the Deeproads, but my room was closer! Andraste’s _tits_ Adenine, is that what this is about?”

“This is _about_ ” She hissed “The fact that I saw him creeping back to his room in the ass hours of the morning _covered in fucking bruises_ Cousland.” She slammed him into the tree trunk again “This is about the fact that we’re the only things standing between him and a long slow death of torture from his old friends, and you decided it would be appropriate to fuck the _one_ person in this camp _who has the most on the line if he pisses us off_.” Another thunk. “This is about you deciding to take advantage of that, Cousland. And let me tell you, I’m trying really hard” Thunk. “To find a reason not to beat the shit out of you right now, and I was starting to like you, Cousland, so start _fucking talking_.”

“We ran into an ogre in the deep roads who got a little close for comfort, Adenine, Maker!” He yelped “Wynne looked him over before dinner last night, even! Ask _her_ about it! You didn't think I gave him those, did you?”

She didn't so much as break eye contact, and he felt her grip on his cloak tighten as if she was preparing to slam him into the tree again. Erik felt his eyes widen.

“You _did_! Holy _shit_ you thought I, what, took him to my chambers and had my wicked way with him? What the _fuck_ , Adenine? He’s a fucking _assassin_ Adenine, d’you think he couldn't have killed me at any point if he didn't like what we were doing?”

“What was I supposed to think?” she shot back “I found him covered in bruises and reeking of sex sneaking back to his chambers before anyone else was awake. What would you think, if you saw an elf creeping away from a nobleman’s room like that in the middle of the night?”

Erik blinked at her, and felt his blood run suddenly, horribly, cold. Adenine released his cloak roughly, letting him fall back against the tree. She folded her arms across her chest with such force it made her hood flap against her back, posture suddenly defensive instead of aggressive. Of all the elves they traveled with, she was the only one without an ounce of grace. Zevran, of course, and Mahariel had the smooth predatory languidness in their movements that marked them as rouges, but there was something extra that Leliana Brosca (and, if Erik was being honest, he himself) simply could not match. Surana, in her moments, reminded him of the cool disinterested glare of the ravens that had perched outside his mother’s rooms; all careful study and then bursts of graceful flight.

Tabris was just a bag of knives; all sharp angles and aggressive points, not to mention completely without subtlety.

“Honestly?” Erik said “I have no idea. Not something I have a ton of practice in, actually. Not sure I would have jumped to friend-of-mine-beats-his-bed-partners, though.” She winced in response.

“If it means anything to you” She said “I’m really glad I was wrong. Really, really glad.”

She glanced up at him, briefly, before her eyes darted away again. “Hate to’ve seen you safely through the blighted deeproads to have to kill you here.”

“Does that make this the ‘what are your intentions with my son’ talk?” Erik asked idly “Because that last bit sounded kind of like a ‘what are your intentions with my son’ talk, just, y’know, with actual violence, instead of only implied violence.”

She snorted. “I don’t know how you got that out of this, but sure. If you take advantage of Zevran I’ll break your maker-foresworn legs. How’s that sound?”

“Right as rain. No taking advantage of gorgeous elves that invite me to their tent.” He paused, and looked up at Adenine questioningly “Still sex with the gorgeous elves that invite me to their tent though, right? Because there were clear implications last night, and let me tell you-“

“Stop!” she held up her hands to forestall further explanation “I absolutely do not need to know the details. Just- Remember that you’re bedding someone who probably sees us as an insurance policy, yeah? Don’t take advantage of that.”

She held out her hand in a peace offering, and he and used it to pull himself up off the tree.

“Done deal.”

The walk back to camp was tenser than the walk away from it, and as they made their careful way back to camp in the dark Erik wondered if he would ever really understand any of the people he traveled with.

* * *

  
**Five**

  
Denerim was a shit-show start to finish, and they were only supposed to be there to pick up research notes. The trouble started even before they had even entered the gates, when they were trying to decide who should come into the city at all. The only of them with any experience with Denerim at all was Adenine, so despite her protesting the whole process through, there was no real alternative to having her along. She put her foot down hard against a larger-than-necessary party, though, and initially it was just Erik and her. Then, Brosca insisted she accompany them and Leliana, in order to confront a ghost from her past. Alistair, too, had managed to persuade Adenine into letting him join them; to try and connect with his long lost sister. As it turned out both of those efforts went tits up with startling speed, (even for their group) and the rest of the day needed a different approach.

Brosca, Leliana and Alistair peeled off the group early into the venture, sending Zevran back in their place. Adenine had been quiet the whole day, letting Erik take the lead in the discussions, persuasions and occasional intimidation that were part of the bread and butter of their life at this point, although Erik would readily concede that both Zevran and Adenine were better than him at the intimidation aspect of the job. Adenine had a tendency to simply throw people against walls when they really needed something, and despite her being usually at least a full head and several stone lighter than her mark, it usually worked. Zevran, on the other hand, simply _insinuated_ , and Erik usually wasn't sure if he found it more hot or scary. He should probably have been more concerned about that, but honestly, he really couldn't bring himself to care.

Now, however, the official warden business was concluded; notes retrieved, brigands dispatched, and false warden sympathizers dealt with. Plus, a pirate had taught him dueling, and made him and Zevran promise to return before she set sail, so she could ‘show them what a real expert could do with a pair of daggers’, which was an offer Erik really, really hoped he survived to fulfill. Regardless, they could finally start thinking about heading out again. The three of them were just heading out of the Pearl when Adenine spoke up.

“I want to visit the alienage before we go. Won’t take long, I don’t think. Just looking to drop off some supplies and make the rounds. ”

Erik shrugged, changing direction to head back around. “Sure.” He agreed. “We passed the gates a while back, right, shouldn't be too much trouble to pop in for a minute or two. Plus, I could meet your family”

She shook her hear abruptly “Cousland, don’t take this the wrong way, but a human nobleman is not a welcome sight in the alienage. You can stay by the gates with Zevran. I’ll be right back.”

They rounded a corner and the alienage gates came into sight, sunk deep into a wall and barricaded off of the main city with a heavy duty portcullis. Adenine pushed the two of them against a wall and gestured ‘stay’ before turning back to the gates. Erik watched her take a deep fortifying breath, then hunch her shoulders and tuck in her chin before approaching the gate. It was such a far cry from the Adenine he was used to that Erik had to blink, reminding himself that the person looking deliberately nonthreatening and small in front of the guard and calling him ‘serrah’ was the same person who routinely made herself the biggest, loudest threat on the battlefield to protect the mages in the back. The same warrior who had once bashed a golem in the face with her shield to ensure she had its undivided attention. Then she staggered backwards as if struck, and Erik all but leapt into action, pushing off the wall and hurrying to the gates.

“Is everything alright?” Erik asked, coming up beside her, and only barely resisting the urge to check her for injuries. He had seen her take hits from bigger and scarier people than a gatekeeper, but a sucker punch was a sucker punch, and she wasn't wearing any armour.

“Everything’s fine messr” The guard replied, abruptly turning away from Adenine “Just informing this one that the alienage has been closed”

“What?” Blurted Erik “It’s a whole section of the city!”

The guard nodded sympathetically, as if they were discussing the weather “Ah, well there’s been some troubles in the alienage, y’see. Bit of an elven uprising, as it were. Nasty business.” He glanced around, and then dropped his voice conspiratorially to address Erik, as if Zevran and Adenine weren't standing right beside him. “Knife ears actually had the gall to kill the Arl’s son, can you believe that? First thing the new Arl did after he was appointed was to lead a purge of the alienage in retribution”

Adenine let out a wounded noise beside him, and Erik turned to look. There was raw grief on her face, and her hands were shaking like he’d never seen them before.

“That wasn't the deal” She said “There was a _deal_ this was never supposed to-“

“Messr, what is your companion on about?” Asked the guard. Erik could only shake his head.

“Perhaps” Said Zevran “It is time we get out of here, no?” He put one hand on Adenine’s shoulder and she jerked away angrily, before turning to shout at the guard, jabbing a finger at his chestplate.

“This never should have happened! _They_ didn't do anything. You were never supposed to-“

“Messre” the guard interrupted “If you can’t control your elf I’m going to have to ask you to leave”

It was only because Zevran was so close to Adenine that he was able to halt the punch before it broke the guard’s nose, hurling himself on top of her in a hug that pinned her arms to her sides. The guard reeled back, alarmed, as Adenine snarled at him from Zevran’s hold.

“We are on our way home now, yes?” Zev asked, a little strained “Or perhaps just out of this nice man’s general vicinity?”

“Right, yeah” Erik said “yeah let’s get out of here” He grabbed Adenine’s shoulder from Zevran’s hold and began to steer her away from the guard, down one of the narrow labrenthyian streets that seemed to be Denerim’s standard model. As he hurried them through the alleys and back streets of the city Adenine was still furious and shaking, and refused to say a word to either of them. They burst back out onto the main streets of the market district, and Erik wheeled around to face her.  
“Are you going to tell us what in the void that was about?” He asked. Adenine gave no impression that she heard him, staring fixedly at the blank plaster wall to his left, arms folded over her chest.

“Adenine, you almost punched a member of the _city watch_ , and yeah he was a dick, but what were you _thinking-_ ”

“I am thinking" Zevran suggested, laying a hand on Erik’s arm, "that this may be a conversation she does not wish to have in public, my friend. We may want to continue this somewhere the walls do not have as many eyes? Perhaps even a tavern of some sort? We could get roaring drunk and talk about our problems, as should be standard practice in all civilized places.” He flicked his eyes over Adenine’s form “And besides, I do truly think our dear Adenine needs a drink.”

Adenine let out a single near hysterical single laugh, and scrubbed at her face with one hand. “I don’t think I could ever be drunk enough for this conversation, Zev”

“That” Zevran replied reasonably, “is no excuse not to try. Come, The gnawed noble is an establishment of some repute yes? And since we have only recently cleared the brigands from its backrooms, they should be empty and ours for the picking. We may even be able to secure a free drink.”

He guided her across the market to the tavern, keeping up a steady stream of conversation the whole time, despite the lack of attention from his companion. When he reached the doors of the tavern, he simply pivoted deftly, placing himself between the door and the rest of the group, before shouldering it open and bringing all three of them inside. He sat her down at a table in the corner of the back room, and firmly pushed Erik into the seat between Adenine and the door  
“I am going to get us drinks, and then we will talk. Do try not to kill anyone while I’m gone.” And with that he was off, leaving just Erik, bewildered sitting next to Adenine who had her head in her hands, and her elbows propped against the table. He stared at her, and her stringy, travel-dirty brown hair falling through her fingers in the dim light of the tavern in silence. Neither of them moved until Zevran returned, bearing three frothing mugs and a small glass tumbler, gripped precariously between two fingers. He set a mug down in front of each of them, and slid the tumbler to Adenine, who finally looked up at the rest of the table.

“An ale for each of us, and something stronger for Adenine to start with” Zevran said “It is hardly fair to expect our story teller to begin the tale sober, no?”

Adenine snorted and raised the tumbler in his direction before tossing its contents back in one go.

“I have no idea” She began, setting the tumbler down with a heavy clink “where to even start telling this story”

Erik watched as her in silence for a moment before she, clearly struck by inspiration, began rummaging under her shirt. She produced the leather thong that held her warden’s oath, and pulled it off, roughly yanking it free of the hair it caught along the way. Strung next to the glass vial on the string was a small, simple golden ring, which she picked up and offered to Zevran. It was like any of the other dozens of small rings they had picked up over their journey, but he turned it over in his hand anyway, before handing it to Erik.

“My friend, if I may ask” Zevran said “What exactly are we looking at?”

“That” She said heavily “Is my wedding ring”

Erik fumbled the ring so badly it nearly ended up in his ale. He was about to interrupt when Zevran caught his eye across the table and gave a tiny shake of his head. Adenine kept going as if she hadn't noticed.

“My fiancé Nelaros saved up scraps from his father’s forge for months to make it. Wanted it to be real gold. He was a good man. Came all the way from Highever, for the chance to marry me. I think we could have been happy together, even. Met him the day of our wedding. He seemed nice enough. A little nervous at the altar, but then so was I. Can’t blame him for that.”

She sighed, and rubbed at her eyes roughly with the pads of fingers.

“And then everything went completely to shit. Vaughan, the Arl’s son, decided he wanted some female company for a party he was throwing. I don’t fucking know what the occasion was. Maybe he was just bored. Doesn’t matter. Fact is, he walked into the alienage like he owned the place, middle of the wedding. Demanded that we go back with him, all the girls dressed up pretty. Groped the other bride right in front of the priest. Don’t really remember what happened after that. Guard knocked me out, I found out later. Point is, I wake up, with the other girls, minus my cousin, locked in the pantry at the palace. Vaughan had decided to start with her, and the rest of us were penned up like cattle, waiting our turn.”

She paused to take a long pull of ale, and Erik wondered briefly if his face showed the same shock that he was feeling.  
“I was going to volunteer to go next, if it came to that. Buy the others some time. Most of the workers in the palace are elves, y’know, so I thought maybe they could get ‘em out before-“ She stopped, and took another drink. Erik was beginning to see the wisdom in Zevran’s plan to do this at a tavern. Maker, he honestly didn't think he could tell this story sober either, just listening to it made him long to be drunker, and Adenine was clearly implying more than she was outright saying.

“Not that it mattered. Guards came in, Nola panicked, and they cut her down. Didn't have the chance to make the offer. Grabbed the other girls before I could blink, told two of ‘em to tie me up, on account of I looked like I would fight. And damn right I would've, too, if my cousin Sorris and my fiancé hadn’t launched a half-baked rescue effort. Stormed the palace, those two did. Duncan lent Sorris his longsword, and he managed to get it to me right before the guards cornered me. I killed them, and then we carved a path through the fucking palace to get to the rest of the girls. Nelaros got separated from us, at some point, and they saved him until we came around the corner.”

She let out a wobbly sigh, and ran her hands through her hair. They were still shaking slightly, and she hadn't made eye contact with either of them in some time.

“Vaughan’s men killed him in front of me, so close I could feel his blood spatter. Slit his throat. Laughed, when he collapsed at their feet. I enjoyed killing them. I enjoyed killing Vaughan, that piece of shit, and I’d do it again.” She let out a short laugh.

“He tried to bribe us, actually. Offered us forty sovereigns- _forty sovereigns_!- to leave him alive and the rest of the girls with him. More money than I’d ever seen in my fucking life. He had the gall to offer that while standing over my cousin sobbing on the floor. She could barely walk, afterwards. Had to practically carry her back to the alienage. Only just got her through the gates when the city watch arrived, looking for the knife-ear that killed the Arl’s son, and forty some odd of the palace guard. I stepped forward, took full responsibility. I thought, I thought that maybe if they had a scapegoat they wouldn't take it out on the rest of the alienage. That they’d beat the shit out of me, and hang me publicly as a warning and that’d be the end of it.”

“But it didn't matter. Duncan conscripted me from right under their noses, and they led a fucking purge of the alienage anyway. None of it fucking mattered. Shianni, Sorris, the rest of them, probably dead now anyway, because the nobs didn't get to see a knife-ear swing. And now I’m alive, and they’re probably fucking _dead_ and it’s my fucking _fault_ , Erik. I made a deal, and that deal was I hang, and protect the rest of the fucking alienage. Joining the wardens was way out I never asked for, and most people saw it as a death sentence anyway.”

She sighed again.

“I never wanted any of this. I know none of us did, except Alistair, really, but I really didn't expect this to be my life. I just wanted to get married, have a kid. I would've been pregnant, by now, probably. Better places to raise a kid than an alienage, but we would've done alright. Nelaros in a smithy, probably working for Wade in the market. Me doing sellsword work here and there, keeping shem out of the alienage. I could have taught the kid how to fight, someday, like my mom did for me. We would have done alright.”

She drained the mug of ale, and reached out to retrieve her necklace and wedding ring. As Erik handed it over, she met his eyes, and Zevran’s in turn.

“Keep this between yourselves for now, yeah? I’ll tell the others eventually, but not yet.”

“Of course” Zevran agreed promptly, and Erik nodded emphatically.

“In your own time, Adenine.” Erik added “we won’t go behind your back on this”

Her answering smile was small and weak, but at least it was present.

“Thank you.” she said, turning to rise. As she stood up, she shed the morose story-teller that she had been moments ago as well as the tiny, nonthreatening elf she had been in front of the city guard. She squared her shoulders, raised her chin and she wrapped the self-assured, battle-hardened warden Erik knew so well around herself like she would a worn coat.

“Let’s get going then”, said Grey Warden Adenine Tabris. “We have a fucking Blight to stop.”

* * *

  
**\+ one**

  
Erik honestly didn't think he had stopped grinning all night. They were all alive, Maker, they were all _alive_ , and the archdemon was dead and the Blight was _over_. Shortest blight in history, and they had been the ones to stop it. The celebration was into the early hours of the night now, and showed no signs of slowing down. There was enough wine in the palace to get even the wardens and their increased tolerances pleasantly tipsy, and Erik knew he’d been verging on sloshed for the past hour or so. He doubted anyone would hold it against him though. If anyone had the right to get drunk tonight, it had to be the Ferelden wardens.

To that end, he grabbed a whole bottle of red wine from a passing servant, and a pair of glasses from a table before sauntering out onto the balcony off the main hall, intending to split it with the first person to join him out there. As he rounded the corner, he found Adenine perched on the railing, mouth stuffed full of apple pie, the rest of which sat still in its serving dish beside her, clearly pinched from one of the banquet tables in the main hall.

Erik attempted to straighten up, and nodded formally at her. “Warden Commander Tabris” He said.

She swallowed her mouthful of pie behind one hand, before nodding back solemnly. “Prince-Consort Cousland.”

They managed to keep it together for another few seconds, before Erik’s lips twitched, and Adenine broke into a broad grin before laughing and motioning him over to take a seat next to her on the balcony. He straddled the balcony next to her, deposition the bottle and pair of glasses between them next to the apple pie, before gesturing towards the bottle.

“Would the commander care for a drink?”

“You bet your ass the commander would care for a drink. Pour ‘em up, prince-consort.”

She was grinning widely, wearing the wine-flush on her cheeks proudly as she was wearing Sophia Dryden’s commander armour, and took the glass from Erik gladly as he offered it to her.

“Prince-fucking consort and commander of the Grey. Look at us, Erik, this is nuts. I still can’t believe they put me in charge of the wardens”

“Well I wasn't about to let some Orlesian tit I’d never met before take over the post” Erik said, pouring his own glass “Not when you’re clearly the best for the position. Whassis face wasn't happy about that, but frankly he can sit on it. I told him it was you or nothing.” He took a gulp, and then grabbed a chunk of apple pie with his fingers. “He relented eventually, and the rest were happy enough to go along with my recommendation. Benefits of being married to the queen, y’know.”

She stared at him “You argued for me?”

Erik shrugged. “Course I did. You led the hell out of us wardens, during a blight, and did a damn good job too. Managing a bunch of people actually sworn to you to do darkspawn cleanup and keeping up the ranks should be easy in comparison.” He sucked the spiced apple syrup off his thumb before glancing up at her. Her wine glass dangled all but forgotten in one hand as she stared at him. Erik frowned, and set his own glass down to lean towards her.

“You did want the position, right? You talked about it before, but if that was just pie-in-the-sky stuff, I could-“ She cut him off by lunging across the space between them and roughly pulling him into a hug. Erik laughed, startled, and caught the bottle of wine as it was about to topple over, before hugging her back.

“I cannot _believe_ ” she said, voice muffled by his formal robes but clearly amused “That your first act as a member of the royalty was to put me in charge of the country’s most powerful military alliance.”

“Well, second.” Erik amended “The first one was to christen the royal bedchambers with Zevran.”

Adenine laughed, and pulled back to flick a piece of pie crust at him.

“Of course it was.” She said, stifling laughter “Maker, an Antivan crow and the soon-to-be king, a casteless paragon and an ex-Orlesian bard turned chantry sister, and a horrifying apostate witch of the wilds from legend and a Dalish elf. How on earth did a city elf and a bastard prince become the most normal couple of the group?”

“I think the two circle mages have you beat on that front” Erik pointed out “The world nearly ended and their relationship didn't as much as stutter. You think they’re going to hyphenate Amell-Surana or Surana-Amell?”

“Oh, Surana-Amell for sure” Adenine agreed “Andraste’s ass, I’m glad those two are both girls. Can you imagine their children? Thedas would've survived the blight only to be taken down by a horde of tiny terrifying mages. Magi. Whichever.”

Erik laughed “They might adopt yet! Find some tiny apostate kid and raise it as their own.”

“Don’t say that!” Adenine yelped “They might hear you! And then I’ll have to try and pretend I don’t notice them looking for a kid. I’m going to have enough trouble keeping them with them in the wardens and out of the circle without you giving them blasphemous ideas left right and center.”

She was holding back giggles though, as she took a long drink of her wine. Erik topped off her glass as she set it down to grab another chunk of pie. Adenine chewed on a particularity doughy piece of crust, before washing it down with some of the wine. Sighing, she turned back to look at the hall, wine dangling from long, elegant fingers.

“You hear what they’re calling us in there?”

Erik nodded “The Heroes of fucking Ferelden.” He said “Hell of a title.”

“Damn right” she said “Buncha barely trained warden recruits, a handful of miscellaneous outcasts and a dog. And we stopped a blight in just over a year. That’s something worthy of a title if I've ever heard one.”

Adenine tipped her head back and closed her eyes, resting gently against the pillar behind her. “I don’t think your regency is going to be exactly peaceful, Erik. The Dragon age is shaping up to be a hell of a century. We’re going to be living in some interesting times.”

“Well” Erik said “Here’s to interesting times, then” He held up his glass to toast. She opened her eyes and picked up her own, rolling forwards to hold it with the kind of liquid motion only possessed by the drunk.

“To interesting times,” She agreed, “And to the people who we never would have met outside them.”

They clinked their glasses together, and on a balcony in the royal palace in Denerim, two friends shared a drink after the end of the end of the world.

* * *

 

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this thing in like, a single week, the characters grabbed me by the throat and refused to let me go until I had put them to paper. I'm planning to write more in this series focusing on some of the other characters (I might even name the other wardens, whoops) 
> 
> I would like to thank Noholds for editing this last night when they had a bunch of schoolwork to do.


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